Nov. 2.
The "higher" Japanese authori~ ties have ordered a further investigation of the affair at Keelung. This is almost the only satisfactory revelation in the amazing tale Japanese discourtesy toward the Commander-in-Chief of British China Fleet. For the moment the treatment of the three British) sailors by the Keelung police is regarded as sub judice, Discussion of the accuracy of Sir Charles} Little's report on that incident may be postponed, What seems to call for immediate comment is the misplaced flippancy and gross misrepresentation of facts indulged in by Mr. Eiji Amau, the spokesman of the Japanese Foreign Office. For some time past Mr. Amau has made himself and his Government look ridiculous by his fitful displays of childish insolence and af~ fected ignorance. He has endeavoured to adorn these mani-testations of the new diplomacy by a sort of impudent wit which some~ times. has been too.much for the news-secking correspondent to accord it the expected tribute of dight. Generally the corres Pondents have recognized that humour of this kind ts cheap, Bir. Amau knows perfectly well that he will not be called upon to account for the gems which drop from his agllbly agile tongue, so he is not Inclined to put any" limit to hic targets. Therefore, on the principle of endeavouring to make critics of Japanese action look, as he would deem it, foolish, he suppresses his knowledge of the further inquiry ordered by his superiors and contents himself by making the super~ ficial true but actually misreading statement that the offclal judicial investigation Into the British allegations hed not yet been completes 'Then, well aware as he must have' been of the: courtesy which made Sir Charles Little's visit one of those formal- international inter= changes of "ceremony to which civilized nations attach proper im-Dortance, he seems to have tried deliberately to. throw dust in the Journalists' eyes by offensively insinuating that the visit was entirely Sir Charles' affair. Mr. Amau might pause to consider what would be the fate of an official in his position "in Whitehall of Washington who so unwarrantably exceeded the bounds of discipline.
'The reticence and hesitation shown "in making the - Keelung incident public must now be taken prove the good faith of the British Admiralty." In their Lord= ships' view it was evident that regard for Japanese prestige should Prescribe no hasty publicity, The expectation clearly wes that prompt measures would be taken authori~ natively to investigate a statement of claim put forward by sovhigh an officer as the Vice-Admiral Commanding-In-Chief of a British Fleet, It would be assumed that Japanese knowledge of British naval traditions—knowledge gained in the days of the. birth of the Japanese Navy in elreumstances peculiarly' appreciated by both countries—would be sable. to attach proper importance to. the Admiralty's re-Presentation. Yet it appears that, without bringing that perception to bear, the first action of the Japanese authorities was to. permit a local inquiry to carry all the weight of Tokyo's endorsement without any check by higher and more inde-Pendent. agents of investigation. There can be no question of the light in. which the British Govern= ment regarded that negligent reply tothe claim, for—here again the Japanese authorities were left in no "doubt—it sanctioned the postponement of Sir Charles Little's official visit. Mr. Amau's transparent offer: to pretend to be ignorant of the significance of the postponement is itself a distressing lapse diplomatic conduct. Tt entirely stultiies the antecedent assertion that the Foreign Office at Tokyo was anxious to avoid friction.
The Japanese Government has been able to count on British sym pathy in the dificult task of curbing the constant encroachments on the direction of public policy by military and naval officers acting under specious cover of the special constitutional authority vested in their services. Confronted fast February with a critical challenge from a strong and, apparently, influentially inspired body of young military officers, the Government won re-
Speet and condolence forthe efficient and dignified firmness with which it disposed of that tragical menace. {bean therefore command consider able understanding and sympathy when it finds its diplomatic labours much complicated by incidents directly derived from the arrogance fand wilfulness of certain sections of its fighting forces. Residents in China need not be asked to con template the extreme forbearance shown by Chinese © and Foreign oficais to various manifestations of this spirit in different parts of China. The problem is all too well-known. In the North it has become a commonplace. Here in Shanghai it receives frequent illustration and it would be not incor rect to. say that the governing bodies of the three municipalities have so interpreted the obligation of avoiding friction that they may! well be open to criticism by those whose civic rights and privileges! they have tended to ignore in the process. This excessive tolerance: has been largely excused by the conviction that the better mind of the Japanese community in Shang hal is dismayed and sorely vexed at 2 marked deterioration in observance of that punctilious respect for conventions on which their nation proudly lays such stress. It] 4s difficult to imagine what the exponents of this new form.of aggressive nationalism expect. to gain for their country. Unfortunately their exposure to the: people of Japan is greatly handicapped by the Government's cently tightened control of the news services. The probability that the general. public in Japan will have the opportunity of reading Reuter's plain-matter-of-fact presentation of the issue is remote, for the new pooling arrangements virtually put the foreign cables in the unquestioned discretion of the Japanese agencies acting strictly in accord with Government requirements. Japanese statesmen equipped with a real sense of international relation ships cannot be happy. They must feel that, at a time when they are anxious to assure -the world that Japan is a stabilizing force in the Far East and an enlightened stand-Jard-bearer of progress, this evidence of a complete disregard for the reputation of their country must be particularly embarrassing. Not is such conduct compatible with the desire for Japan to stand high in the comity of nations. It is greatly to be hoped that "the firm yet friendly remonstrances which the: British Government have found it, necessary to make will-have appropriate effect and that the new: investigation by higher Japanese authorities may restore the situa~ tion to its proper proportions and prevent it from gravely prejudicing the harmony long subsisting between the British and Japanese nations.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.